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Fisherfolk
The fisherfolk are so named because they dwell along the shorlines of the Kinship and earn their living off of the sea. Their most populated city, Township-on-sea, is also a tourist destination because of its remarkable feats of engineering. Physical Characteristics Build: They tend to be tall and lean, with long arms and short legs, which makes them ideal for sailing and swimming. Coloring: Like most Dunlanders, their coloring depends on the region which they live. Endurance: Average for Men. Height: Males average 6'3 and 190 pounds, females 5'10 and 130 pounds. Lifespan: Average for men. They live 60 - 70 years. Resistance: Living in a open, salt-sea air and their vigorous activity, they are much more resistant to disease than are most men. They shrug off common colds and flu, it takes much more serious diseases to bring them down. Special Abilities: The Fisherfolk have a perfect physiology for sailing and swimming, and are masters at both. Culture Lifestyle: The fisherfolk earn their subsistence on the water and they would have it no other way. Up before dawn, then men and boys cast off in boats of all sizes to bring in the day's catch utilizing rod and reel, nets, checking traps, and diving. While the men are away the women teach the girls proper housekeeping and Vocations. Some communities farm their seafood, and most of the 'catch' is iced and sent off to other Mannish towns. In Township-On-Sea, life is much the same but because that they are in the heart of Lake Lamara, both close to and equal distance between The White City and Amalost, the merchant seamen of ToS can charge a little more for their catches, which makes some of the merchant families there very wealthy. Clothing and Decoration: Fairly utilitarian, but with bright colors preferred. Common attire for men usually consists of loose cotton trousers, open vests, and sometimes turbans. Women are fond of swishy skirts and corsets or surcoats and bandanas. Females are especially fond of wearing their hair long and braiding them into tight cornrows, which are then capped by tiny shells, crustaceans, or fish hooks. Fears and Inabilities: None. Marriage Pattern: Monogamous and generally for life, the line is traced through the male. The Fisherfolk have a complex ceremony that begins at the moment of proposal. The excited male will then rush off and over the next two days absolutely pester the bride-to-be's father for permission to take her hand. How often this pestering takes place is up to the suitor, but local folktales tell of fathers getting up in the morning to find a smiling suitor meeting with with a coffee and breakfast cooked all night in the father's kitchen, or following the father all day at exactly seven inches behind him. After two days the father then gives his consent (it was never really in doubt), and things get more serious as the suitor then spends five days propriating The One with sacrifice of all manner of personal items important to the suitor and maintaining a careful watch to ensure that there are no bad signs or omens. If all goes well, the wedding takes place as planned. Religion: The fisherfolk have informal religious ceremonies centered around communal celebration and personal reflection of The One and Her meanings. Like most other Men they rever The One and have a healthy respect for all of the Ulvatar, but reserve their worship for the true Creator. Other skills and talents: The fisherfolk are expert boat builders and seamen, and have the ability to pilot any boat they get on if even only studying the controls for a few seconds. All Fisherfolk receive the Navigator Vocation in addition to any other Vocation he may choose. Other Factors Demeanor: Friendly, humorous, jocular, talkative, curious, and often brutally honest. They love people, they love pranking people, and they love making new friends. The love being on the water, and a new friend unfortunate enough to get sea sick will have hours of merciless but harmless teasing to look forward to. Language: The fisherfolk do not maintain a separate cultural dialect and speak Dunnish. Very few choose to learn any other languages. Other Names: The are called Fishermen, Lake-Men, Water-Men, and fish-eaters (vulgar). Relations with Others: Generally very good. They are as far from as dour as one can get and enjoy being alive, and sharing that life with others. Three exceptions to this rule are orcs, trolls, and he Easterlings they abhor. They particularly like the Udun, as their antics can make an Udun howl with laughter. Naturally, they often take spouses from among the Udun but some also marry elves. Restrictions on Callings: None. Many of them are Called to be Dsciplined, but an equal number are also drawn to The Wise. Sadly, they do sometimes produce Untouchable in the form of pirates, but these rare individuals are met with as much hostility from among fisherfolk as they are by other races. Common Vocations: Most Fishrfolk follow the Vocation of shipwright(Craftsman), engineer, fisherman, and sailor.